Fothergilla is a relatively recent addition to the garden. When I was working on the Fall Color Project last autumn I saw the fantastic fall color of the fothergilla's foliage and fell for it! (Is that enough F words for you?) The fuzzy springtime flowers are just a bonus since I mainly wanted it for the fall show. They appear slowly at first then burst open all of sudden to reveal these white fuzzy flower balls. The flowers arrive before the foliage appears. 
Fothergillas are in the Hamamelidaceae family which is the witch hazel family. They are hardy to zone five and are a native plant in the United States. I found ours at a local nursery where they had it marked for less than $5. I planted it in the Side Border Garden which now forms our Arbor corridor. It's hard to beat that price for a plant with three seasons of interest!